Best Steak

McMahon's Steak House

2959 N. Swan Road

STAFF PICK: When McMahon's opened after a million-dollar renovation/rebuilding of the historic Palomino Restaurant at Swan and Fort Lowell roads, some doubted that a high-end steak house would hold much appeal for the citizens of Tucson. Were those naysayers ever wrong! True, the prices attached to these hunks of meat could fill your grocery cart for a week at the corner market, but you won't find a better steak anywhere. And if you really love a good steak, you'll pay the price for the sheer enjoyment of these big, tender and juicy cuts, each bursting with rich flavor. Such knowledge and care are a rarity in today's market for nouveau cuisine and mass-produced beef.

Other dishes are offered (seafood, chicken, pork), but why bother? It's the beef that makes McMahon's something extraordinary. The surroundings are simply elegant, a late-20th century version of an exclusive cattlemen's club. The bar is luxurious and inviting with a baby grand piano (live music nightly) and a glassed-in wine cellar that serves as a dividing wall. Another small bar houses a custom-made humidor, which seems to be the gentlemanly way to enjoy a sporting event, round of cards or a snifter of brandy.